1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handrail for a people mover, such as an escalator or moving walkway, with a grip for people to grasp and a one-piece structure comprising several layers.
2. Background Information
Handrails of this type are described by the known art. Many of the current embodiments consist primarily of layered, C-shaped strips or bands with structural inserts. The layers in the strips or bands are constructed separately, then joined together by more layers, such as ones made of elastomer materials.
The manufacture of handrails is a lengthy and complicated process. The handrails are produced in various lengths of the layered structure. Each of the lengths must be processed in batches or segments of the strips. The process joins the layers using a material to form a single molded strip or band.
The disadvantages of a fabrication process of the type described above include the time-consuming and expensive pre-assembly step and the transport and insertion of the individual components, not to mention the fact that the fabrication must be performed in batches or discontinuously using the pressing process, as a result of which burrs are formed at the separation level of the press mold, and there are fluctuations in the quality of the longitudinal segments pressed.
The object of the present invention is to simplify the fabrication of a handrail of the type described above by means of its pre-fabricated structure, and to create a configuration which satisfies the requirements and is easier to repair.
The invention teaches that this object can be accomplished if the layers are combined into a one-piece textile structure and can be connected to the grip in a single fabrication step.
Consequently, only one module is connected with the grip in the form of an insert that has high tensile strength and a rigid shape. The module has a sandwich-like structure, the characteristics (rigidity, strength) of which can be adapted to the respective individual requirements which may differ over the width of the product. As a result of this restriction to an essentially single unit module, the ease of repair of the handrail is also increased.
In one favorable embodiment of the invention, the textile structure is formed from at least the following parts:
a reinforcement layer made of high-modulus fibers that run lengthwise,
a transverse reinforcement made of fibers that run crossways,
an anti-friction layer made of polymer fibers in the form of a polymer structure.
The invention also teaches that the reinforcement layer can be formed by high-modulus fibers that run longitudinally, such as polymer fibers (aramid, polyester, polyamide), carbon, glass or steel fibers.
For the realization of the transverse reinforcement, the invention also teaches that the fibers for the transverse reinforcement can be formed by polymer and/or glass fibers.
A favorable realization of a connection of grip and textile structure consists of the fact that the grip and insertxe2x80x94in the form of a textile structurexe2x80x94can be connected to one another by co-extrusion.
In other words, in one preferred embodiment of this invention, the grip and textile structure or insert can be connected to each other by a co-extrusion process.
In this case, the endless textile structure can be transported under bias or pre-stress to an extruder in which the grip material is extruded around the textile structure. The profiling can take place in the extruder and/or following the extrusion on a cooling and calibration line.
The present invention teaches that alternatively, the grip and insert can be joined to one another by an adhesive connection.
The present invention also teaches that a longitudinal reinforcement can be located only in the center region.
In an additional realization, the grip can be formed from a thermoplastic elastomer material.
To adapt the characteristics of the finished product to the respective requirements, the invention teaches that a textile structure can be located below and/or inside the grip.